Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radiographic imaging system using a plurality of radiographic imaging apparatuses, a control method, and a storage medium.
Description of the Related Art
There has recently been a demand for imaging of a long observation area (hereinafter, referred to as long-length imaging or stitch imaging). Examples of stitch imaging in the medical field include imaging of the spinal cord, the entire lower limbs, and the whole body of a subject for examination or diagnostic purposes.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-045159 discusses a radiographic imaging system in which a plurality of radiographic imaging apparatuses is arranged to perform stitch imaging.
The radiographic imaging system discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-045159 captures an image in a state that portions of the plurality of radiographic imaging apparatuses overlap with each other. As a result, an image (radiographic image) captured by a radiographic imaging apparatus that is positioned far from a radiation source may include a structure (image artifact) of a radiographic imaging apparatus that is positioned near the radiation source. An image artifact is any feature which appears in an image which is not present in the original imaged object. In the case of radiographic stitched image, the structure of overlapping of imaging apparatuses (detectors) tends to generate an image artifact. A density and a position in which the structure (artifact) appears in the captured radiographic image change depending on imaging conditions such as a distance between the radiographic imaging apparatuses and a positional relationship between the radiation source and each of the radiographic imaging apparatuses.
The present invention is directed to a radiographic imaging system generating a stitched image by combining a plurality of radiographic images obtained using a plurality of radiographic imaging apparatuses. Such a radiographic imaging system is capable of reducing an adverse effect of a structure appearing in the stitched image, regardless of the imaging conditions.